Paper-thin gallium oxide transistor handles more than 8,000 volts

Electrical engineers created a gallium oxide-based transistor that can handle more than 8,000 volts. The transistor could lead to smaller and more efficient electronic systems that control and convert electric power -- a field of study known as power electronics -- in electric cars, locomotives and airplanes. In turn, this could help improve how far these vehicles can travel.

Researchers discover new high-pressure material and solve a periodic table puzzle

In the periodic table of elements there is one golden rule for carbon, oxygen, and other light elements. Under high pressures they have similar structures to heavier elements in the same group of elements. Only nitrogen always seemed unwilling to toe the line. However, high-pressure researchers have actually disproved this special status.

Configurable circuit technology poised to expand silicon photonic applications

Researchers have developed a new way to build power efficient and programmable integrated switching units on a silicon photonics chip. The new technology is poised to reduce production costs by allowing a generic optical circuit to be fabricated in bulk and then later programmed for specific applications such as communications systems, LIDAR circuits or computing applications.

PCB Design Basics: Beginners Guide to Get Started

A Printed Circuit Board or PCB is one component that is present in almost all the electronic equipment we use in our daily life. It forms the foundation of any circuit. A PCB is where all the electrical/electronic components are held together and interconnected without any wires. The connections on the PCB, is not only permanent [...]

The post PCB Design Basics: Beginners Guide to Get Started appeared first on Electronic Circuits and Diagrams-Electronic Projects and Design.

How to combine components?

“How to combine components to get a specific function?”

Many people ask me this.

But that’s like if you want to learn the piano and ask:

“How to combine notes to play a specific song?”

What you need to do to learn to play the piano is to practice playing the piano.

No matter how much music theory you read, you need to play the piano to really learn how to combine notes to play specific songs.

After a while you’ll learn which note sounds good together. And you get a good ear for which notes are in a song, so you can play it by ear.

It’s the same with electronics.

Practice building electronics, and you will learn which combinations of components that give you specific functions.

Start with the basics.

Learn what each component does on its own.

Then continue to build simple circuits that combine the basic components.

When you got the basics down, try something harder. Find schematics online. If you need a timer for a project, look for a timer circuit diagram. If you need to sense light, look for light-sensing circuits.

As a member of Ohmify you’ll get access to lessons that take you through this first phase, to get the basics down. 

You can continue with more advanced lessons in microcontrollers, circuit board design, and much more. And you’ll get to build really cool things too. 

If you’re not a member yet, you can purchase access here:

https://ohmify.com/join/

Also, if you ask more specific questions, you will get more specific answers.

Instead of asking “How to combine components to get a specific function?”

Ask for example “What does a timer circuit look like?”

Keep On Soldering!
Oyvind @ build-electronic-circuits.com

Copyright Build Electronic Circuits

Researchers boost microwave signal stability a hundredfold

Researchers have used state-of-the-art atomic clocks, advanced light detectors, and a measurement tool called a frequency comb to boost the stability of microwave signals 100-fold. This marks a giant step toward better electronics to enable more accurate time dissemination, improved navigation, more reliable communications and higher-resolution imaging for radar and astronomy.

Novel device harnesses shadows to generate electricity

Researchers have created a device called a 'shadow-effect energy generator' that makes use of the contrast in illumination between lit and shadowed areas to generate electricity. This novel concept opens up new approaches in harnessing indoor lighting conditions to power electronics.

'One-way' electronic devices enter the mainstream

Engineers are the first to build a high-performance non-reciprocal device on a compact chip with a performance 25 times better than previous work. The new chip, which can handle several watts of power (enough for cellphone transmitters that put out a watt or so of power), was the leading performer in a DARPA SPAR program to miniaturize these devices and improve performance metrics.

Planning to start a tech podcast? Here’s all you need to know

Podcasts have become a valuable piece of online content, and their popularity is growing as we speak. With as little as a Google search, you can find a podcast dedicated to nearly any industry or niche, meaning those wanting to venture into the world of podcasts have a lot of competition going around.  Whether you [...]

The post Planning to start a tech podcast? Here’s all you need to know appeared first on Electronic Circuits and Diagrams-Electronic Projects and Design.

Researchers breaking new ground in materials science

A new study could usher in a revolutionary development in materials science, leading to big changes in the way companies create modern electronics.

Quantum leap: Photon discovery is a major step toward at-scale quantum technologies

A team of physicists has developed the first integrated photon source with the potential to deliver large-scale quantum photonics. The development of quantum technologies promises to have a profound impact across science, engineering and society. Quantum computers at scale will be able to solve problems intractable on even the most powerful current supercomputers, with many revolutionary applications, for example, in the design of new drugs and materials.

Riddled with holes: Making flexible thin-film electronics more durable

Researchers have developed a simple approach for controlling the otherwise random formation of cracks in flexible thin-film conductors, greatly increasing the durability of flexible electrodes and transistors against bending and folding.

Behind the scenes of Ohmify [VIDEO]

Every week I sit down to write this newsletter.

And I usually spend about an hour.

But today when I was sitting down to write, I had an impulse.

I wanted to create a behind-the-scenes video tour of Ohmify.

So that you can get a better idea of what it is.

And decide whether it’s for you or not.

I thought I could do it in one hour, but here I am 6 hours later…

Anyway, I’ve just uploaded the video to YouTube and you can find it here:

If you want to join us, you can find membership pricing and other details from the Become A Member page at Ohmify.com.

And if you have any questions, just reply to this email.

Keep On Soldering! 

Oyvind @ build-electronic-circuits.com

Copyright Build Electronic Circuits

Research takes electrons for a spin in moving toward more efficient, higher density data storage

Researchers have demonstrated a new mechanism involving electron motion in magnetic materials that points to new ways to potentially enhance data storage.

Observation of intervalley transitions can boost valleytronic science and technology

An international research team has observed light emission from a new type of transition between electronic valleys, known as intervalley transmissions. The research provides a new way to read out valley information, potentially leading to new types of devices.

Atomically thin magnets for next generation spin and quantum electronics

In 2005, Science asked if it was possible to develop a magnetic semiconductor that could work at room temperature. Now, just fifteen years later, researchers have developed those materials in two-dimensional form, solving one of science's most intractable problems.

Scientists break the link between a quantum material's spin and orbital states

Until now, electron spins and orbitals were thought to go hand in hand in a class of materials that's the cornerstone of modern information technology; you couldn't quickly change one without changing the other. But a new study shows that a pulse of laser light can dramatically change the spin state of one important class of materials while leaving its orbital state intact.

Coordination polymer glass provides solid support for hydrogen fuel cells

Scientists are synthesizing stronger and more efficient materials for hydrogen fuel cell membranes. Most fuel cells currently on the market employ liquid membranes. A new coordination polymer glass membrane works just as well as its liquid counterparts with added strength and flexibility.

Making quantum 'waves' in ultrathin materials

A team of researchers has observed unusually long-lived wavelike electrons called 'plasmons' in a new class of electronically conducting material. Plasmons are very important for determining the optical and electronic properties of metals for the development of new sensors and communication devices.

What Is An Inductor?

I have received some emails with the question “What is an inductor?”. And I realized that it is a really good question. Because it’s kind of a strange component.

An inductor is just a coil of wire.

It’s incredibly easy to make one — just make some loops with a wire. But because wires create magnetic fields, you’ll soon see that it can do some interesting stuff.

The Inductor in a Circuit

If you’re learning electronics, the first important question is: What does the inductor do in a circuit?

An inductor will resist changes in current.

In the circuit below, you have an LED and a resistor in series with an inductor. And there’s a switch to turn the power on and off.

Without the inductor, this would just be a normal LED circuit and the LED would turn on right away when you flip the switch.

But the inductor is a component that resists changes in current.

When the switch is off, there is no current flowing. When you flip the switch on, current starts flowing. That means there is a change in current which the inductor will resist.

So instead of the current going from zero to maximum right away, it will gradually increase up to its maximum current.

(The maximum current for this circuit is set by the resistor and the LED.)

Since the current decides the light-intensity of the LED, the inductor makes the LED fade in instead of turning on instantly.

Note: You’d need a very large inductor to be able to see the LED fade in the circuit above. It’s not something that you’d use an inductor for. But use it as a mental image of what the inductor does in a circuit.

What Happens When You Disconnect the Inductor?

The inductor also resists the current from switching off instantly. The current won’t just stop flowing in the inductor in an instant.

So when you switch off the power, the inductor will try to continue the current flow.

It does this by quickly increasing the voltage across its terminals.

It actually increases so much that you can get a little spark across the pins of your switch!

This spark makes it possible for the current to keep flowing (through the air!) for a fraction of a second until the magnetic field around the inductor has broken down.

That’s why it’s common to place a diode in reverse across the coil of a relay or a DC motor. This way, the inductor can discharge through the diode instead of creating high voltages and sparks in the circuit.

FREE Bonus: Download Basic Electronic Components [PDF] – a mini eBook with examples that will teach you how the basic components of electronics work.

How Inductors Works

Any wire with current flowing through it has a small magnetic field surrounding it.

When you wind the wire into a coil, the field becomes stronger.

If you wind the wire around a magnetic core, such as steel or iron, you’ll get an even stronger magnetic field.

This is how you create an electromagnet.

The magnetic field around the inductor depends on the current. So when the current changes, the magnetic field changes.

When the magnetic field changes, a voltage is created across the inductor’s terminals that oppose this change.

What Can You Use Inductors For?

It’s not that common to see discrete inductors in the typical example circuits for beginners. So if you’re just starting out, you probably won’t come across them just yet.

But they are very common in power supplies. For example, to create a buck or boost converter. And they are common in radio circuits to create oscillators and filters.

What you will come across much more often though, is electromagnets. And they are basically inductors. You’ll find them in almost everything that moves from electricity. Like relays, motors, solenoids, speakers and more.

And a transformer is basically two inductors wound around the same core.

If you want to learn how to other electronics components work, continue to the basic components in electronics.

Copyright Build Electronic Circuits

Future information technologies: 3D quantum spin liquid revealed

Quantum spin liquids are candidates for potential use in future information technologies. So far, quantum spin liquids have usually only been found in one or two dimensional magnetic systems only. Now an international team has investigated crystals of PbCuTe2O6 with neutron experiments.

Computer vision helps scientists study lithium ion batteries

New machine learning methods bring insights into how lithium ion batteries degrade, and show it's more complicated than many thought.

Artificial intelligence is energy-hungry -- new hardware could curb its appetite

A team of engineers has created hardware that can learn skills using a type of AI that currently runs on software platforms. Sharing intelligence features between hardware and software would offset the energy needed for using AI in more advanced applications such as self-driving cars or discovering drugs.

Shedding new light on nanolasers using 2D semiconductors

Scientists have discovered a process of physics that enables low-power nanolasers to be produced in 2D semiconductor materials. Understanding the physics behind lasers at nanoscale and how they interact with semiconductors can have major implications for high-speed communication channels for supercomputers and data centers.

What I’ve been up to during lockdown (Hint: Creating)

I hope you are well during these lockdown times.

While writing this, I’m sitting on our balcony and enjoying the sun. I have a beautiful view of green trees with newly sprung white flowers. The pleasant scent of the flowers, and the calming sound of bumblebees, make this quite the scenario.

So I really can’t complain.

My wife and I have been in Oslo, Norway during the lockdown. And I feel pretty lucky as we haven’t been hit as hard here as in many other places around the world.

And things are slowly starting to open again.

The positive side of the lockdown is that I’ve been forced to sit down and work.

No more travels for a while.

So I’ve been able to create a lot of new material for Ohmify.

My goal for this year was to add at least one new course every two months. So a minimum of 6 throughout the year.

But guess what…

I just counted that I’ve added 9 so far this year! And the 10th is on the way.

The new courses are:

Learn Electronics: The Resistor
Learn Electronics: The Integrated Circuit
Learn Electronics: The Inductor (To be released soon)
Build A Remote-Controlled LED [MINI PROJECT]
Arduino: How To Use a 7-Segment Display in Projects
Arduino: Build a Sound-Activated Switch [MINI-PROJECT]
Arduino: Build a Light-Based Theremin [MINI PROJECT]
The Sunrise Wake-Up Alarm [MINI-PROJECT]
How The Astable Multivibrator Works
The Night-Light [MINI PROJECT]

As an Ohmify member, you have access to all these in addition to all the other courses. 30 courses in total. Almost 400 lessons. You’ll find them in the Trainings Library when you log in.

I’ve also added a Roadmap that will guide you to which courses you should start with and in which order.

If you’re not a member yet, you can join us from this page:

https://ohmify.com/join/

I’m guessing that travel is not going to be possible for quite a bit more. So in the meantime, I’ll be at my home office/workshop creating more content. And of course, helping you with your projects or understanding of topics in the Ohmify community forum.

Stay safe! And…

Keep On Soldering!
Oyvind @ build-electronic-circuits.com

Copyright Build Electronic Circuits